Operation HELLISH
by asd'viers.dfga
Summary: A demon? And the portal that Numbuh 2 had mentioned...the Australian just might be faced with his biggest challenge yet. Can he save her? Wally/Kuki Rated T for now.
1. A Storm is Brewing

Operation HELLISH:

Harmful

Environment

Loathes

Life of

Innocent

Scared

Human

1: A Storm is Brewing

* * *

Typically, Sector V worked more effectively as a team. Individually they were really quite capable, but it just wasn't nearly the same. Unified they were more victorious than if any one operative took on an enemy alone. It was what they were famous for; not only being the best team on the planet but also the most interdependent. This, of course, granted them a full pardon on their decommissioning, and allowed them to remain in the Kids Next Door well after their thirteenth birthdays. Yes, their sector was the very definition of teamwork.

Except for today.

The youngest operative of Sector V had woken up right around noon to a massive migraine and drenched in a cold sweat. She tossed and turned on her mattress, trying to return to sleep in an effort to cure her ailment, but the pain was too intense. Numbuh 3 hesitantly got out of bed and changed out of her pajamas and into the same green sweater that she had worn four years ago. It still fit, but she hadn't grown much since then anyway and the article of clothing was already over-sized on her lithe frame. Groaning, she pushed aside the curtain that acted as her door and slouched into the hallway.

Numbuh 3 shuffled into the main chamber of the tree house passed her fellow operatives and plopped down on the couch, rubbing her temples gently. If only the light would leave her alone and the pounding in her ears would go away! She scrunched her face up in agony as the muscles of her forehead contracted tightly. The immense amount of noise that the television was emitting wasn't helping, and neither were the flashing lights and bright colors on its screen. Her blond-haired best friend reclined next to her, his eyes focused intently on the TV. She opened her mouth to ask him to turn the video game off, or at least turn the volume down, but thought better of it as she didn't want to negotiate with the Australian's frustration in her current condition. Numbuh 3 slumped further down into the cushions, grasping her head with both hands as the pain spiked sharply.

"You okay, Numbuh Three?"

She glanced at the owner of the voice through her peripheral vision. Numbuh 5 was lying on the floor flipping through a magazine, gaze squarely fixed on the young operative from under her cap. The black-haired girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"Think I have a migraine…" She said, barely above a whisper.

"Well why didn't ya say somethin'?" Numbuh 5 rose to her feet and headed for a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Have ya taken any aspirin?"

All the Asian girl could do was barely shake her head in reply. After some rummaging, Numbuh 5 returned to the couch with a small, white pill bottle in her hand, offering it to her afflicted friend. Numbuh 3 gladly took it and dry-swallowed a couple of the pain-relieving pills gratefully.

"Hey doofus, do ya mind?" Numbuh 5 stepped in front of the television screen, unplugging the video game controller from the console, and was met with an immediate reaction from Numbuh 4. "Can't you see Numbuh Three has a headache?"

"How was _I_ supposed ta know?" He dropped his controller and threw his arms up in protest. "S'not loike she said anythin' ta me 'bout it!"

"She shouldn't have to," Numbuh 5 shook her head. "Honestly, sometimes Numbuh Five thinks you must be the most be da most dense boy she's ever seen!"

Numbuh 5 retreated back to her magazine and 4 fell silent, averting his gaze to the floor after realizing how rude he had been. She couldn't have been in that much pain; she would've definitely spoken up. Right? He looked at the girl in question. Her ivory hair was uncombed, sticking up at odd angles and matted from what he guessed was an uncomfortable night of sleep. The dark circles under her eyes told him that. Her usually pale complexion was clammy and, just barely visible, was a thin layer of moisture. The expression on her face was one of extreme discomfort. He should've kicked himself for not noticing all this when she first sat down next to him.

"Numbuh Three, I didn' know…" He paused while she showed no signs of acknowledging him. "I'm so-"

"Incoming Transmission from Kids Next Door Moonbase!" The computer alerted over the intercom system as red emergency lights flashed throughout the room.

Numbuh 5 jumped from her position and sat at the computer, Numbuhs 2 and 4 not far behind her. "On screen!"

A young brunette appeared on the wide monitor, his face covered in freckles and a frown. The number 263 was painted in black on his backwards blue baseball cap.

"Sector V, reporting for duty, Numbuh 263 sir!" It had been so long since they had been assigned a mission, Numbuh 5 could hardly contain her excitement. Although all they did anymore were espionage missions, it was better than sitting around, being a giant waste of space.

The Supreme Leader looked less than pleased at their enthusiasm. They were teenagers, after all, and teenagers should never be trusted. He sighed and looked sternly at the Sector leader, Numbuh 5. Numbuh 263 simply didn't know how to interact with the famous, adolescent spies. He wanted to hate them, but they excelled at almost everything they did. He settled for regarding them with annoyance.

"Hello Sector V, long time no see."

"Yeah, long time." Numbuh 5 shifted in her seat. "Tell me sir, what'd ya call us for? Numbuh Five don't like ta be kept waitin'."

The Supreme Leader looked slightly offended as he continued. "Ok fine. Well, um…where's Numbuh Three?"

"Numbuh Three ain't feelin' too hot, so she's takin' da day off."

"I see," Typically, the Supreme Leader would've questioned the group as to why one of their members were missing (after all, they were down to four active operatives), but Numbuh 5 had made it clear that she was not messing around. "Well, might as well get this over with. We've picked up on some suspicious adult activity over on the other side of the city. It hasn't escalated into anything serious yet, so we can't call in any _real _operatives."

Sector V scowled at the screen as he spat the last part with malice, but each operative bit their tongue. They were lucky to still be commissioned; one slip-up and they knew they would be out of the Kids Next Door forever.

"All I'm asking is that you spy on the adult facility and report any findings back to me. The coordinates have been uploaded onto your computer." And with that the transmission faded to static.

"Oh, Numbuh Five better not ever get her hands on dat guy!" She spun around in her chair and jumped down from the platform following the other, who had resigned to regrettably grabbing their mission gear.

"Jus' who does he think he cruddy is," Numbuh 4 kicked a neglected soda can out of his way as he retrieved some two-by-four weapons.

"He's Supreme Leader, Numbuh Four. He can get away with anything he wants," Numbuh 2 replied, adjusting his goggles and shaking his head disapprovingly. "The jerk."

"Ain't no use in cryin' about it," The coffee-skinned team leader placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder. "Let's just get dis mission over with so we can be done with it. Numbuh Three…"

Numbuh 3 lifted her head up slowly in recognition from the horizontal position she had made herself comfortable in. "You gonna be ok while we're gone?"

"Mhm," She purred softly, laying her head back down painfully, glad to have some peace and quiet for her aching head.

"Alright den. Kids Next Door, battle stations baby!" She thrust her S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. up in the air with zest, running towards the bay with her teammates right behind her.

Numbuh 2 halted as though he forgot something, and dashed back into the main atrium to Numbuh 3's side. A wave of urgency and seriousness washed over his entire person as she gazed up at him, confused.

"Listen to me, Numbuh Three," His voice held dark undertones. "Don't go in my room."

"Why would I go in your room?" Ok, she was in pain _and_ confused now. She would never go anywhere near any of her friend's rooms while they weren't present.

"Just…saying. There's some super secret stuff that I'm working on and I want it to be a surprise!" It was clear that he was lying, but not to the distressed girl who was overcome with pain.

"Ok, fine, I won't, just…you're gonna be late," She breathed through clenched teeth. Maybe it was a bit ridiculous, but she didn't want her friends to see her like this, in so much pain because of a stupid headache.

He was suddenly his cheerful self again as he headed towards the door. "Alright. Feel better soon!"

Tiredly, she closed her eyes and felt the pain medicine kick in, as she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

When she awoke several hours later, it was evening, and the setting sun cast slivers of light across the wooden floor in front of her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat up. Her fellow operatives still hadn't returned from their mission, she realized, blinking in the dim lighting. At least her headache had gone away. Heeding the growling of her empty stomach, she made her way to the kitchen area of the tree house, trekking through the dark hallways. Maybe she would fix herself a bologna sandwich, or a bowl of Rainbow Munchies. Her stomach roared at the thought of her favorite cereal and she flicked on the light in the kitchen. She found the box of cereal in a cabinet and crossed the room to retrieve the milk and a bowl.

And that's when she heard something skitter down the hallway just outside the ring of light. Terrified, she froze mid-step.

"He-Hello?" Her voice quivered with every syllable and she couldn't keep her hands from shaking. "Guys?"

Not a sound was heard except for the rapid fluttering of her heart, which was momentarily caught in her throat. She shook her head, crediting it to her imagination, and resumed her tasks, humming tunelessly just to fill the silent void with something.

"Hey Kooks," His voice suddenly seemed to echo throughout the kitchen, and the only reaction she could muster was dropping the bowl out of surprise at his proximity. He was standing so close she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She was so preoccupied with his intimacy that she neglected to realize that he wasn't breathing, and that she hadn't heard any footsteps. "Feelin' betta'?"

When her nerves finally calmed, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're here, Wally! I was getting so scared, being here all alone and stuff."

"Yeh, I s'pose. But ya don't need ta be 'fraid o' anythin' 'cuz I'm here ta protect ya," He spun her around and wrapped an arm across her shoulders, eyes glistening dangerously. Numbuh 3 was mostly oblivious as he began to lead them away, shocked at his sudden attempt at romantics.

"You guys just get back then? Where's the rest of the team?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Turned in early."

"What's gotten into you, silly?" She giggled to ease the awkward feeling in the pit of her stomach. "You're acting funny."

Numbuh 4 looked down, silent for a moment as his hair fell over his eyes, and he smirked. "Whot d'ya say we go 'n watch some TV?"

Her small smile etched across her features as she conceded to let him lead her down the hallway. She hoped that she only felt nervous because she liked him.

* * *

A/N: I know this might have turned out pretty lame, but hopefully as we progress into the story it will become more interesting. Honestly, I suck at writing when there are so many characters interacting with each other. This is gonna be loosely based/inspired by a certain other cartoon, but I'm not giving anything away yet. It's not quite a crossover; rather, one or two of the characters make a cameo later. As always, constructive criticism is welcome!


	2. A Storm That Will Swallow the Children

Operation HELLISH:

Harmful

Environment

Loathes

Life of

Innocent

Scared

Human

2: A Storm That Will Swallow the Children

* * *

Numbuh 4 traversed through the quiet hallways of the tree house in the early hours that hovered somewhere between night and morning. The team had returned a while ago and gone to bed, and he knew that he, too, should retire, but he could not keep his eyes shut. He had already come by this way several times tonight, but some unknown instinct was tugging him passed her bedroom every few hours. As creepy as that sounded. It's not like he was stalking her; he just wanted to make sure she was alright. After all, she had looked downright cruddy yesterday afternoon before they had left for their mission. Something within the recesses of his mind was screaming at him to make sure she was ok, he couldn't ignore it. To his right was the entrance to her room, a curtain with a giant '3' painted on it; all he was going to do was draw the curtain back just enough to where he could see that she was safe and sound in her bed like so and… Emerald eyes scanned the dark expanse that lay before him. His eyes surveyed the menacing silhouettes of the many stuffed animals in her room, searching for, and finally finding, the silhouette of her sleeping form. With an inward smile he let the curtain fall back into place and continued down the hallway to his room.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

The young Australian awoke as the first rays of sunlight filtered through his window. He rolled over in an attempt to keep the light out of his eyes, but his room was entirely submerged in the golden light. Sitting up crankily, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and cursed the morning, wishing that he had been able to sleep the previous night. It was odd. He was plenty tired; the team had arrived home from their monotonous day of spying shortly after midnight. But a voice in the back of his mind kept him up all night, and regardless of how many times he satisfied his gut feeling, it never went away. It was telling him that there was something wrong with Numbuh 3. He had checked on her every other hour though! She was perfectly fine! So why did he feel so suddenly nauseous at the thought of her?

He shook it off and stood, going through his morning rituals before making his way to the kitchen for breakfast. Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 were already awake; they were always the first ones awake, much to Numbuh 4's disbelief. Sitting at the table eating their cereal, Numbuh 4 only grunted a greeting in their direction. It was still too early for any interaction with other human beings for him. He began to pour his cereal, only half paying attention.

"Hey Numbuh Four," Their Sector Leader vocalized tentatively. He sensed something out of the ordinary in her tone but dismissed it.

"Yeh, whot is it?" He grumbled, trying to hide the quivering of his voice as he poured milk into his breakfast. Suddenly, he felt very afraid, and he couldn't quite justify the feeling.

She glanced at Numbuh 2 for support, not knowing how to speak to the easily angered boy. Her mind formulated a plan quickly. "D'ya think you could check on Numbuh Three? Haven't seen her since we left yesterday…"

His eyes grew wide under the shadow of his hair. He dropped everything he was doing and, for a moment, his fellow operatives thought they were in for an angry outburst, but a single shiver ran through his placated body. "…sure."

Numbuh 4 turned and walked out of the kitchen before another word was spoken.

"Oh boy, dis ain't gonna turn out so well," Numbuh 5 stated in the silence.

"Why didn't you just tell him?" Numbuh 2 inquired blankly.

She shrugged. "It was da only way Numbuh Five could think ta deal with da situation. Any way ya look at it, it ain't gonna be easy."

The two finished their breakfast in silence, neither saying what they both knew.

As soon as Numbuh 4 had gotten out of range of the kitchen, he cursed loudly. He didn't know what was wrong with those guys, but they were seriously freaking him out. They were acting like…whatever he was feeling in his abdomen had come true. But he wasn't going to accept it. Not until it was proven that something had happened to his sweetest best friend. This fear was just so irrational, he reasoned, and as soon as he saw her bright, smiling face, everything would be alright.

Pausing in front of the same curtain he had stopped by so many times last night, he gulped down any hesitation and ducked inside quickly, before he could change his mind. The stuffed animals seemed much less threatening in the morning sunlight, he noted as he approached her bed. Her sleeping body was terrifyingly still as he placed a hand on what he guessed was her shoulder…but nothing happened.

She didn't stir…she wasn't even breathing!

"Whot…?"

Numbuh 4 tore the bed sheets away to examine her closer only to find that she was a giant green rainbow monkey. The joyful eyes of the stuffed animal seemed to mock him as he staggered away in shock. Maybe she was hiding in a pile of plushies, he thought, digging through the toys. "Numbuh Three!"

With her room tore apart before him, all Numbuh 4 could do was stare blankly at the toy that took her place. Reality slowly began to ebb away as he fell to his knees. He tried to pull himself back, to reassure himself that she was probably just back at her house. That's it! He would check there. Surely, she just went home since she was feeling bad and all.

He rushed out of her room, not even bothering to say farewell to his teammates as he sprinted to the Sanban house.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

A few seconds after he had smacked his knuckles loudly on the front door, he began to grow impatient. It was all he could to do to not jump passed Mr. Sanban when he answered the door.

"Yes?" He hissed, his disapproval of his daughter's best friend apparent as Numbuh 4 peered over his shoulder into the hallway behind him.

"Hello, Mista' Sanban. Is Kuki home?" The blond had to slow his words so that they weren't a jumbled mess of syllables.

Mr. Sanban's eyebrows perked up suspiciously at his inquiry. "It was my understanding that she was at that filthy club house that you and your friends waste your time in."

Trying to hide his fear in front of her father, Numbuh 4 gulped and started to back away. "Oh…y-yeh. She prob'ly is. Tha's roight, she is there! Sorry ta bother ya!" He ran back to the tree house before a befuddled Mr. Sanban could reply and before Numbuh 4 realized that Numbuh 3 was missing.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"You whot?" The Australian slammed his fists down on the table before him. The person his angry response was directed at was trembling slightly in his explanation.

"I-I think I might k-know what happened to Numbuh 3," Numbuh 2 repeated at he shuddered under his friend's anger. Numbuh 5 sat in the corner of the room, observing with indifference.

"Ah'm not jokin' 'round; you betta' tell meh now or else!" This was no time for pranks. Numbuh 4 was nearly snarling his words, shaking his tightly closed fist in Numbuh 2's face, and his fellow operatives could've sworn that he had turned into something inhuman.

The aviator gulped. Telling the truth didn't seem too appealing to him at the moment, but he knew that lying would only get him pummeled into the floor at some point in the near future. "Ok, ok, I'll tell you! You've just gotta calm down! I can't think straight with you stomping around here threatening me!"

Numbuh 4 inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, then exhaled and took a seat directly across from Numbuh 2, watching him with a strange intensity.

"Thank you," He continued, feverishly tugging at his collar. "I…may have awakened something…something terrible."

Awaiting the hard impact of a fist on his face, he squinted and gritted his teeth, but nothing happened. His friend sat across from him calmly, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Well…" Deep breath. "I created a portal…and I think that something has traveled through it to our world to take Numbuh 3. It's the only logical explanation…readings show that she never left the tree house last night." Watering down his technical lingo, he pointed to the papers scattered in front of him. "So that means that-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec!" Numbuh 5 jumped up from her seat. "You sure you ain't pullin' our legs? Numbuh Five don't like sci-fi movies."

"I'm being serious here!" Numbuh 2 stood also, arms flung out at his sides. "Look, whatever has happened to her, it's not good. And we need to do something now."

Their leader raised an eyebrow quizzically. "How come you're just now sayin' somethin'?"

"I didn't think of it before," He cast his eyes downward.

"Downright careless," Numbuh 5 mumbled just audibly enough for both boys to hear. She hated to be angry, but she had a duty as her role of the leader to reprimand them when they did something that could compromise the well-being of the team.

Emerald eyes met Numbuh 2's determinedly, ignoring the dispute between the operatives. "How d'we get 'er back?"

His unfaltering gaze was unnerving to both of them and Numbuh 2 put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Luckily, I have a contact that's dealt with this sorta thing before."

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

The location that Numbuh 2 had dropped him off at, somewhere in Great Britain was all Numbuh 4 knew, was musky and humid. Rain was misting all along the streets of the city and the large silhouette of the building on the horizon loomed ominously ahead of him. That was where he had to go. "Pick you up in an hour," Numbuh 2 had promised before he and Numbuh 5 had flown away on the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and left him with nothing but his backpack. He began walking down the strangely empty sidewalks.

When he reached his destination, the decrepit mansion that sat on a hill overlooking the town, he felt an overwhelming sense of paranoia. The gate he passed through was tall and gothic, and towards the right of the building, he could just barely make out the headstones of a graveyard. And it may have just been his mind playing tricks on him, but he could've sworn he saw animated corpses trekking jerkily around the yard. Knocking on the front door, it swung open on its own, and after a moment of hesitation, he entered the dark, eerie building. The first room was some sort of dark living room, and he froze as he realized that he was not alone. Sitting in front of a flickering television, the only source of light in the room, a lanky, pale man sat with his arms wrapped around his legs. He seemed to take no notice of his visitor at first, continuing to stare at the static on the TV. Numbuh 4 stepped closer hesitantly, waiting for the man to attack him for entering his home without his permission. And that's when his jaw dropped. He had ventured close enough to examine the man's face in greater detail. His hair was a deep azure blue, and stuck up in the most unnatural of angles. There was a complacent – or comatose, the adolescent couldn't decide which – expression on his face, but that wasn't the shocking characteristic. In the sockets where his eyes should be, there were nothing but deep, soulless black holes. Finally, the man jumped as he noticed the uninvited boy in his living room.

"Wot're yew doin' 'ere?" His voice rang out highly in a cockney accent. "Muds'll be so angry wiff me if I let a stranger in, I fink."

* * *

A/N: The layout of the tree house is one that eludes me, so I apologize in advance for any inconsistencies. Also, sorry about the…bland way I write. Trying to spice it up a bit but I just can't seem to do it. Ok, you get two guesses as to where Numbuh 4 is! Er…you get as many guesses as you want….if anyone's reading this, haha. Thanks to my lone reviewer! I will try to update this as soon as possible. R&R!


	3. Two Dents?

Operation HELLISH:

Harmful

Environment

Loathes

Life of

Innocent

Scared

Human

3: Two Dents?

* * *

"Who?" The overage operative asked, hypnotized by the man's eyes. The longer he looked at them, the less scary they became. In fact, despite his previous observations, the eyes were very soulful, and very capable of showing emotion. Still, that didn't take away Numbuh 4's paranoia.

The man sitting on the couch scratched the back of his head. "Muds. 'E's a real rottah 'e is. Yew don' wanna meet 'im, trus' meh. Course 'e ain't 'ere righ' now an'ways."

He patted the cushion next to him, indicating an invitation for Numbuh 4 to sit down. Numbuh 4 just stared. He couldn't fight the feeling that Numbuh 2 was neglecting to tell him something. "Where am I?"

The man's would-be eyes widened at this, his eyebrows knitting together. "Yew really don' know where yew are?" He shook his head. "Y'at Kong Studios…er, wot's left o' it. 'S a real mess, innit? Been tha' way e'er since she left…" As he reached the end of his reply, his voice became saddened.

The adolescent, who didn't know how to react to such strong emotions, especially from a stranger, suddenly found the carpet very interesting. But he knew he had to speed the conversation up if he was going to get any closer to figuring out the mystery that surrounded the disappearance of his best friend. "Who're you?"

"Really? Yew've ne'er 'eard o' me…tha's jus'daft, 'onestly," He looked incredulous. Whot does this guy think he is, Numbuh 4 thought, some kinda rocksta' 'r somethin'? "Me name's Two Dee."

"Tha's a stupid name," Try as he might, Numbuh 4 couldn't keep his aggravation, or his curiosity, from showing. "How'd ya get it?"

"'S on account o' me two eyes bein' dents 'n whatnot, not because o' tha fact tha' I'm two-dimensional," He looked down absently. "'S a rather long story, though. Wot's yer name?"

"'S'Wally," He didn't know why he had given this man his real name. Maybe it was the way 2D's abysmal eyes bored holes into Wally's face; this guy was seriously getting under the operative's skin. Through gritted teeth, "Look, could ya jus' tell me how ta get mah friend back?"

"Why? Wot's 'appened to 'im?"

"_She_," He corrected sharply. "Was stolen. I'm not so sure why I'm 'posed ta ask ya for help, but I am."

2D gasped and wrung his hands together tightly to his chest. "I see whatcha' talkin' 'bout now. 'Ad the same ting 'appen ta mah Noodle-luv. 'Aven't seen 'er since…" Wistfully, he trailed off, searching his hands for something that might help him find this girl that he was speaking of in such a fond tone. "An'ways, yew need 'elp findin' yer girlie friend, huh?"

"She's not mah girlfriend! She's mah best friend!" The Australian yelled at a flinching 2D.

"Righ'. Yew aren' gonna 'it me, are ya?" His question was met with silence and a blank stare. "Ok then, lemme see f'I can fin' somefink ta 'elp ya wiff."

Before the operative could ask exactly _what _had happened to this girl 2D had called Noodle, which was an odd name for a girl, the strange blue-haired man stood and walked into the next room. Migh' as well take uh seat, Numbuh 4 thought, plopping himself down on the couch carefully. Everything about this place gave him the creeps, including its inhabitant. 2D returned just as quickly and quietly as he had left, carrying a thick, weathered book in his hands. Without hesitation, he reclaimed his seat on the couch and spread the book open on his lap. Flipping through the pages quickly until he found the right one, he stopped, holding the book up and placing a finger on the edge of the page. Said page was covered in gruesome illustrations of terrifying, horned monsters bearing there sharp bloody fangs to the reader. A pile of burned corpses lay in the center on the rocky, reddish ground and craggy spires protruded from the ground in random spots, impaling bodies. Wally would have gasped had the breath not been sucked from his lungs, so he sat gaping silently at the picture before him.

"Firs' time I saw, it scared tha' pants offa me," 2D confessed in whisper, staring at the drawing with his deep black holes. His gaze shifted to the next page, which was covered in tiny print. "Readin' 'bout its ev'n scarieh."

After a moment of silence, 2D glanced sidelong at his new acquaintance, waiting for any indication that the boy had started reading. The blond was still staring absently at the page with the beasts before he felt the eyes of the blue-haired man on him. "Yer tellin' me ta read? Sorry bub, I don' read."

2D sighed, squinting at the book. "Awrigh', says 'ere tha' tha picha' to tha left is a depiction o' 'ell." His voice cracked and he paused sadly. "In many religious traditions, 'ell is a place o' eternal sufferin' 'n punishment in tha afterlife."

Both pairs of eyes looked at the book with such intensity that it was a wonder the book didn't disintegrate on its own accord. For the life of him, the adult couldn't continue reading; maybe it was due to the choked up feeling in his throat, or the stinging tears that threatened his dented eyes.

"Well?" The Aussie breathed hesitantly. "'S'this…whot happened ta yer friend, tha' girl ya mentioned? Noodle?"

A single crystal tear slipped down 2D's cheek and he turned away, wiping a hand across the offending wetness. "Y-Yeh. She wos the ligh' 'n innocence o' this place 'til tha' demon boy got 'er…" His high-pitched voice caught in his throat. "Wos like a l'il sista ta me…practically watched 'er grow up since she arrived in tha' Fed Ex crate."

Numbuh 4, though listening to the man's heartbreak, had more urgent things on his mind. A demon? And the portal that Numbuh 2 had mentioned…he said that something had traveled through it to their world. He gulped.

"So, whot yer tellin' me is tha' my friend…" He almost couldn't finish his sentence, and forced his voice to a whisper. "Is trapped down there?"

2D nodded, his face dry as he sobered up. He wasn't prepared for the anger that he received.

"Whot?" Wally jumped to his feet and flung the book across the room, spewing the words out quickly. "How is tha' roight? She doesn't deserve ta be there! Hell is fer bad people, 'n Kuki's the nicest person I know!" 2D's eyes followed him nervously as he began pacing in front of the couch, voice raised. "'N who're you ta tell meh tha' she's down there?"

The man flinched away from the teenager, hands up weakly in his defense. Wally took short, loud breaths, his eyes fixed intently on 2D. He looked calm as he lowered his arms in the realization that he wasn't going to be attacked. For a very long time, neither spoke as they pondered the situation. The conflict seemed almost, if not entirely, insurmountable, and Wally wasn't sure he was ready for something so…intense.

"Y'know, Noods doesn' deserve ta be there either," The man rose from the couch and brushed passed the boy on his way to pick up his book, which lay open on the floor behind him. "I shoulda neva left 'er alone. None o' us shoulda."

He sat back down with his face downcast. "Our only 'ope's tha' Muds brings 'er back safe. 'E said 'e'd rescue 'er, but 'e still 'asn't come back."

Maybe this 'Muds' guy could find Kuki while he was at it, but he doubted it. Wally shuddered as he thought of what he must do, and nearly swallowed his next words.

"So…how do I get there, 'xactly?" His voice was trembling and it felt like he had just signed his own death warrant.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this is such a short chapter! I want to take a second to discuss this chapter so as not to offend anyone. I am strictly atheist. Anything I say about religion is purely speculation; I'm not trying to bash anyone's beliefs or say that any religion is the right religion. With that being said, any criticism or contributions that would improve my idea of Hell or Purgatory are welcome, since I'm not particularly the best writer when it comes to them. All seriousness aside, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the introduction of the Gorillaz characters into the story. Don't worry, they're not going to take up too much time, but they do provide me with a nice way to introduce my plot. Plus, I love writing 2D's character! One more thing – about the 2D/Noodle pairing for any Gorillaz fans out there, it's not going to be too obvious. I admit that I like the pairing but I'm not going to get all mushy about it. There is about ten years of difference in age between the two, after all. 0.o

Ok, that's all I've got to say! Thanks to Micheleee and KNDnumbuh007 for reading and reviewing!


End file.
